Flying in a sapphire sky was an eagle. Itís
soft, feathery body drifting over a timeless sea. In that sea lay a massive
castle, doused in a ghostly light. This is where our story begins and perhaps,
where it may end.

A mermaid of voting age, with lengthy
copper hair, her emerald eyes dreamy, sat swooning over her handsome love. He,
on the other hand, kept flashing his dashing smile, and talking about himself.
It was not hard to see why she liked him, being smart, charming, handsome and
all, but one could also see how it was not hard to dislike such a pretentious
fellow. Theyíd met only weeks before and sheíd fallen deeply in love.

"You know what Ariella?" the merman asked.

"Hmm?" she replied, still wistful.

"You better be off now. Your father might
notice your absence soon. You know what will happen if he finds you gone, and of
all places hereÖ"

"Besides," he continued, pretending not to
have noticed that she had cut him off. "Calypso and I need to talk, soÖ"

"CALYPSO! Why? I donít want you talking to
her, the little temptress!"

"Hold your seahorses! I said talk, doll.
Don't give it another thought. Now off with you!" he informed her, flashing his
dashing smile. So she left his quarters, tail flapping happily, her heart full
of love, her head full of trust, to her familyís rooms in the castle. When she
arrived, all was right. The lights were a bit dim, two open doors to the left
showed off large, lavishly decorated bedrooms. The center room, dťcor similar,
had a table strewn with papers. She swam to a crimson divan and lay down softly.

"ARIELLA!" a booming voice called, shaking
her out of the haze. That would be her father, the Duke of Poseidon's Castle, a
powerful man under the king. He swam into the room with great purpose, and
looking cross, demanded, "Ariella, come here." He motioned toward the table.

"Why father, I donít have the faintest idea
what youíre talking about!" she said, rather offended.

"I'll bet you don't! I don't know what I am
going to do with you. Roaming around with that swindler. Youíre a lady. When I
die you'll be duchess. You need to choose a husband who will make a suitable
duke. I want you to be happy. I want you to have love. Love for a decent man! I
donít know what to do with you. Just get out of my sight."

The duke knew that he had to separate them
in order for their love to be lost. The following day, arrangements were made
for Ariella to be sent far across the sea to stay with her father's brother, the
Baron of Paradise Bay. Ariella mourned her loss of freedom, and forbidden to
leave the quarters, she sent a message to her love by way of a courier. In that
message, she swore she'd love only him and no other. She left that evening in a
chariot pulled by dolphins, across the sea, to an unknown palace, and to the
care of an uncle she'd never met.

The Baron was a kindly old man, but he was
too busy for her, and left her in the care of his adviserís son. He was old
enough to drink, and spent his spare time working in the kitchens. When he saw
her, he became quite smitten.

"Why, hello miss. Iím Corwin, and you must
be the Duke's daughter, Ariella," he proposed, a twinkle in his eye.

"I am. I suppose I should be charmed?" she
replied, with a tongue that bit. When she saw he was not going to reply, she
spoke again. "Where are my rooms?" He didn't reply, but gestured to the right.
Her verbal lashing had been one he would remember. So he decided he would leave
her be. Ariella took this as mockery of her pain, and disliked the fellow. She
spent her days hopelessly looking out her window at all the beautiful fish that
swam, and flapped in the splendor of their freedom. When Corwin came to her,
bringing food, and other things, it would go mostly unnoticed. He spoke not one
word more than he had to. Soon weeks became months, and along came a day when
Corwin spoke more than he usually did to her.

"Today is the sixth month anniversary of
your arrival." A frail, and hollow frame of the girl he had so long ago found
pretty, turned to him.

"Oh," was all she replied. Thinking to
herself, she realized that mourning was no longer a pastime she enjoyed. She got
up, ate all the food that had been left, and really looked inside herself. She
decided that she had gone from a silly lovesick girl, to a bitter bitch, then a
pathetic sorrower. None of those people were who she wanted to be. She slowly
let more and more feelings show on his daily visits, a "thank you" here, a smile
there. The time came when she could not wait for his daily trips to her room. He
took note in the change and began to enjoy himself with her as well.

The days that passed let the two be joined
as friends. They shared meals, laughter, and time together. On one such day a
joke was passed over a light breakfast. "A guy walked into a bar," Corwin told
between laughs, "And saidÖ OUCH!" The pair could not contain themselves and
giant laughs erupted from their throats. "Oh that was a good one," he paused in
thought, "Did you hear about the ball next week?" She nodded. "I was just
wondering, if, well, if youíre going?" he smiled sheepishly.

"I don't really like dances, why?" she
teased him with the question.

"Well some important people are going to be
there and I am on waiter duty, and I thought it would be nice for you to join
me, perhaps, if you have no other plansÖ"

"Of course." Ariella touched his hand
softly, and he smiled.

On the day of the ball, Ariella left her
room, carefully closing the heavy door. She hummed a romantic tune while
swimming down the pillared corridor. The high vaulted ceilings and many large
windows, overlooking the fish below reminded her of home. Turning left she came
to a push-door, with a round porthole, she shoved it open with her hip and
glided in, bumping into Corwin.

"Oh Gosh! Iím sorry!" She bumped him again,
playfully. "Oh sorry again, complete accident!" He shoved her gently. By this
time they were both giggling.

"Very sorry!" he said.

"You two knock it off, and get moving with
those plates!" The female ogre-looking chef shouted. Corwin winked at her.
Ariella giggled as they neared the ball, and sounds of Bach flowed toward them.
They put on news-anchor smiles and carried their plates away to hungry guests.
The room was packed with snobby mermaids and rich merman. She smelled rich
Seaweed cakes and coral flowers. Corwin picked up empty plates and gestured for
her to do the same. She stopped and studied him, tracing with her memory his
angular features, and moppy straw hair.

"Ahem." The woman whose empty plate she was
taking away cleared her throat, looking irritated. Ariella noticed she had
paused directly in front of the womanís face while gazing at Corwin.

"Sorry madam," she stuttered. Corwin raised
an eyebrow at her, and motioned for her to follow him. They entered the hallway
together with Ariella yammering away. She turned to him suddenly, but as she did
her elbow crashed into his rib, making him drop a plate. She bent quickly down,
just as he did, to brake its fall, but instead they bumped heads.

"Ow!" They echoed. They sat, both hands
reached up to comfort bruised foreheads.

"SorryÖI was going to make some sly
comment, but after that performance Iíll keep my mouth shut," she promised. Then
she reached out in order to help pick up the broken glass, the same piece he had
just reached for, and their hands touched. She pulled away, only to be stopped
by his. He pulled closer and she leaned in, staring into his deep brown eyes,
she watched as he closed them, and followed suit. They kissed briefly and as
they did, thoughts of Lance, and the letter, and the promise of true love,
whizzed through her mind. Suddenly, she jerked back. "I canít, this is a
mistake." She stood up and took off down the hall, mad at herself and crying at
the same time.

"ArielllaaaÖwait!" She heard from somewhere
behind. She didnít stop but began running straight for the castleís entrance.
She burst outside and swam into an empty carriage.

"Take me to Poseidon's Castle!" She ordered
and was swept away. She pulled up in front of the castle and fled inside. Memory
kicked in and she followed it to Lanceís room. She opened the door, shouting,
"Honey Iím homeÖ!" She stopped dead in her tracks. His toned arm was wrapped
around a lengthy blonde. The blonde turned her head slightly and Ariella
identified her immediately. "CALYPSO? More importantly, what are you doing
Lance?" She shut up then. She thought back to the night before she left.
"Calypso and I need to talk, soÖ" heíd said.

"Wow I must be stupid, youíve been running
around with her since we started dating, havenít you? I just ran off on a
perfectly loving guy because I felt guilty about cheating on you, and all I did
was kiss him!"

"Ariella, I never promised monogamy, I
meanÖ" He explained, as he flashed his dashing smile.

"Donít play that smile on me. I hope you
two live happily ever after before rotting in hell." She was smiling sweetly,
but her voice was venom. She left, slamming the door. A sense of bewilderment
swept over her, and she longed for Corwin. I hope I havenít messed things up
with him, she thought. She returned to Paradise Bay, passed solemnly down the
corridor, and pushed open the kitchen door. There he was, stacking dishes alone.
Tentatively she swam to him, and touched his shoulder. "Corwin." She said. He
looked at her and his eyes were distressed. Her own eyes were teary and
pleading. He moved away from her touch. She was weeping now, "Iím so sorry, let
me explain."

"No. I loved you, and when I told you, you
pushed me away. I donít really want to talk to you, Iím busy." He turned to
leave, but his voice was strained with conflict.

"I love you," she confessed. "I knew that,
but I was sent here because I thought I loved Lance. I didnít want to hurt him.
So when we kissed, I, I, panicked. I went to him but I guess heís been with
another girl all along, since before I came here. I never loved him. I see that
now. Donít leaveÖ" she begged, thinking his pivot was an escape plan.

"Iím not, Iím kissing you." He lifted her
chin in a large hand, and pressed forgivingly warm lips to hers. She felt the
understanding and comforts that love lend. They left the kitchen both beaming.

Everything was right in the world.
Sometimes, she figured, things work out in peculiar ways, and life takes on a
will of its own.

And so our story ends in a magical castle
under the sea, with two lovebirds wed in a merry gathering. Mermaids and Merman
showered them with blessings, and an eagle soared into the sky, light beams
dancing on its back.

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